AUSTIN (KXAN) — State lawmakers could soon be back at the Capitol considering better warnings for floods in Texas. Just days after the Guadalupe River rushed over its banks and killed dozens in Kerr County, Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed to reporters a looming special session will focus on this critical issue.
“(It’s) the way to respond to what happened in Kerrville,” Abbott said during a Sunday press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Austin.
Following the end of the regular session in May, Abbott announced he would call lawmakers back on July 21. It is unclear if that special session will include any flood-related topics; those could be reserved for a subsequent special session.
In 2023, Abbott called four special sessions, which can only tackle issues the governor outlines. Abbott’s initial agenda for the upcoming special session includes regulating THC, human trafficking and title theft, among other items. Special sessions may last up to 30 days but can end sooner.
Leaders’ emergency decisions
Accompanying the governor during the Sunday news conference, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said, “Just sending the message is not the same as receiving the message.”
“We need to educate the public about what to do when they get the notifications,” Kidd added, referencing weather warnings and how remote areas – like rural Kerr County – might not have had access to cell phone notifications or NOAA radio broadcasts.
Regarding National Weather Service forecast timing, communication and the possible impact of federal funding cuts to the agency, Abbott said he knew “nothing about the staffing.” KXAN has reported the local NWS office, which covers Kerr County, currently has six vacancies among its 26 positions, some of which are meteorologists. The NWS and TDEM have not responded directly to KXAN about those numbers yet.
“We need to spend a lot of time trying to answer this question,” Kidd indicated, speaking generally about a further review of warnings preceding the deadly flood.
When KXAN asked Abbott if a recently-failed bill to assist local governments with acquiring emergency communications equipment – like sirens – would re-emerge, he replied, “It’s going to be something that will be looked at (in the special session).”
KXAN first reported House Bill 13 – which would not have been in effect until Sept. 1, had it passed – aimed to create a council to operate a grant program for that purpose. It would have developed a statewide strategic plan that included “the use of outdoor warning sirens.” The council would have also been asked to “develop and implement, as advisable, emergency alert systems and incorporate as necessary communication technologies into the emergency communications network of this state.”
One of the bill’s authors, Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, told KXAN the issue should be added to the call for the “coming special session.”
“I joint authored HB 13 because this is an area of public safety that needs significant and immediate attention,” Moody said in an emailed statement Sunday. “The absolute last thing we can afford is to do nothing. We should be exploring all avenues and turning that into concrete policy now.”
The bill stalled in the Senate Finance Committee where it was never brought up for a hearing. It did, however, pass the full House 129-18 on final reading. Among those voting against the measure was Rep. Wes Virdell, R-Brady, who represents Kerr County in the legislature. KXAN has reached out to Virdell for comment but has not received a response.
KXAN’s media partner, The Texas Tribune, reported Sunday that Virdell — who has been with the area first responders searching for victims and survivors over the weekend — said he would have decided differently based on his recent experience.
“I can tell you in hindsight,” he told the outlet, “watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now.”
Kerr County warning concerns
At a Friday news conference, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said he “can’t answer” why camps along the river – where many of the deaths occurred – weren’t evacuated but acknowledged: “We do not have a warning system.”
The next day, a Change.org online petition launched, “urgently” calling for Kerrville and Kerr County to implement an outdoor early warning siren system for life-threatening emergencies, like flooding. By Sunday, the petition had more than 200 signatures.
Outdoor weather alert systems are not required by any federal or state law. The choice is left up to local leaders. Sirens are typically activated by city or county officials, according to the NWS.
Cities that use sirens, like San Marcos — which has 14 outdoor weather sirens to warn of floods, tornadoes and wildfires — have previously touted the outdoor warning system as a “vital tool” for emergency preparedness. The sirens, called an Outdoor Warning System, are designed to quickly and loudly notify a community of threats to public safety, including severe weather. San Marcos notes its sirens emit unique sound patterns for different emergencies.
Critics say the devices can be expensive, require regular maintenance, are primarily designed to be heard outdoors and are not as effective as weather radios and mobile alerts. A single siren can cost an estimated $10,000 to $50,000 and multiple are sometimes needed.
In an interview with the New York Times, Kelly said one reason Kerr County has no flood warning system is cost.
“Taxpayers won’t pay for it,” Kelly told the outlet. Asked if residents might reconsider now, he responded: “I don’t know.”
County mulls flood preparedness for years
According to a May 12 Kerr County Commissioners’ Court agenda, officials most recently considered a presentation from the Upper Guadalupe River Authority on the “development of a Flood Warning System for Kerr County.” But it would not be the first time area leaders have heard such plans.
In 2018, the county, along with the UGRA, applied for a $1 million grant for a flood warning system.
“That application was not selected, okay. That’s the bad news,” a commissioner said, according to county commission meeting minutes at the time.
Two years later, in 2020, according to county meeting minutes, that same commissioner said: “We’ve been trying to get a new flood warning system here.”
That 2020 meeting is when the county implemented IPAWS, or Integrated Public Alert & Warning System through FEMA, which is a free program offered through an existing contract with CodeRed, a system the county currently uses for mass emergency pre-recorded emergency telephone messages, according to its website. The CodeRed system is also used in Kerrville with the caveat that it relies on White Pages data and residents should not “assume their number is included.”
In the UGRA’s Strategic Plan update for fiscal year 2025 – the most recent posted on its website – the agency listed a goal to “evaluate and implement resources for flood warning in the Guadalupe River watershed.” Included in that goal, the UGRA aimed to “work with local partners to develop Kerr County flood warning system.” A timeline provided under that point detailed several failed, declined or pending attempts to do just that over the past decade:
- In January 2017, UGRA partnered with Kerr County in a FEMA flood warning implementation grant request for $980,000. The project was not selected for funding and most of the funds went to communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
- During the previous reporting period, a pre-application for a count wide flood warning system was submitted to the Texas Water Development Board Flood Infrastructure Fund. The project was invited to submit a complete application, but UGRA declined due to the low (5%) match offered through the grant.
- UGRA participated in the update to the Kerr County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan which addresses hazards including flooding. The final plan was submitted to FEMA in April 2025.
- During this reporting period, UGRA requested bids for a flood warning dashboard that combines multiple sources of data into one tool. The project will also recommend future improvements to monitoring equipment related to flood warnings. Information from this dashboard will be used by UGRA staff and local emergency coordinators and decision makers. A contractor for this project was selected in April 2025.
KXAN is awaiting responses from the county judge, commissioners, UGRA, TWDB and FEMA regarding those details and any decisions made.
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